


Emerald Dreams

by Heauxcode



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, F/M, Original Character(s), Post-Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-08
Updated: 2018-11-08
Packaged: 2019-06-23 15:00:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15608853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heauxcode/pseuds/Heauxcode
Summary: Star Wars AU. An unlikely romance brought together by geometry and a mutual love for pizza.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was for fun and for practice.

The first thing he noticed was the solid grip of her hand, with an unfaltering gaze to match. Finn tried not to feed into cliches that certain wardrobes carried, but he couldn’t resist when the living hangers enacted them. A tall black girl in tight black jeans with long green braids and a heavy leather jacket stood above him with a confident grin, the embodiment of “different.” Back then, it was the only thing they had in common.

“Finn, right? I’m Ken.” The sound of her voice reminded the boy of fresh-roasted coffee. Dark and rich. A sopranos rasp. He quickly stood from the table to lean into the handshake and hoped she didn’t feel the moisture in his palm. “Thanks for waiting. Something came up at my last class.”  
“That’s fine. Thank you for coming.” How embarrassing. One of his biggest assumptions and it turned out to be wrong. Perhaps he read it wrong, but from what he understood, the tutoring sheet said Ken Clark. “So, um, you need my help with geometry?”  
“Yup!” Her voice seemed to boom inside the still library. The both of them settled into chairs. Ken slipped out of her jacket, draping it behind herself. “Despite how much high school tried to shove it down my throat, I still can’t seem to get it. Not on paper, anyway. Oh! Before we start -” Ken dipped over the side of her seat to sift through her leather satchel before stretching her arms across the table with items in both hands. 

Finn had to lean closer to tell what it was, but recognized the brown sponge encased in plastic was actually a banana muffin and in her other hand a bottle of water.  
“The cafeteria only had banana nut left.”  
Finn took the drink and snack then quickly placed them to the leftmost side of the table. A shame that he was allergic to nuts. “Thank you.”  
“So how are we doing this?” She asked. 

 

Finn fumbled through his backpack and uncovered packets and a textbook appropriately labeled for geometry. He prodded for a better understanding of what parts of geometry challenged her, and laid out certain worksheets based on her response. Like he did with every peer he tutored, Finn scooted beside Ken and asked that she verbally walk through her problem solving for the first equation. The routine was something he knew very well, but for once his concentration was strained. 

The end of their tutoring session had been a relief. The initial surprise of learning just who Ken was would fade once he made it home and got some rest, he was certain. So he neatly filed his things away in quiet haste while Ken tapped idly at her phone. Once he stood from the round table, she gathered her things and stood as well.  
“You probably already know but I’m available on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Depending on how things go I can squeeze in time on Saturday’s. But you did really good today, so I’m sure you won’t need the extra time.” Finn forced a smile. “See you next week?”  
She nodded, but the fixated gaze of her eyes perturbed him. “Is -?”  
“So are those prescription?” She craned her neck slightly forward, as if the browlines on his face would have a complimentary tag on its frame to answer her question.  
“Yes,” He tried to conceal a glare. The question was out of nowhere and she completely ignored what he said!  
“They look great!” She said. He flushed. “I had no idea they still even offered those at the eye doctors. How vintage.”  
“Yeah well I don’t see why they wouldn't. So anyways -”  
Her eyes trailed to her right and she made a small exclaim that made Finn jump. Ken lurched over the table and swiped the water and muffin. Still scrambling for composure, he hadn’t time to react to her shoving the food into his backpack beyond incredulous stammering.  
“You almost forgot those.” He didn't forget. “ I gotta go, my bus should be here soon.” And off she went, shuffling through the double doors. He watched her green braids swing behind her. “See ya next week!”


	2. Chapter 2

The encounter existed in a bubble that no one else knew of. Finn spent his free time tutoring since his junior year of high school. He was acquainted with the odd balls and time wasters. None had left much of an impression like Ken did. 

He scrambled around to find her real name, only to learn that their social cliques weren’t close enough for intel behind the surface stuff. Her major, her part time job, and some of the obscene things she did during their high school career. Even then, learning that they attended the same high school was hard for Finn to believe. 

 

After his morning class, Mondays were relatively quiet. His job at the local tech store was satisfyingly mild. Most of the people who visited Han’s shop weren’t very tech savvy, which meant their issues were minor and nobody hassled you about repair costs. The two visitors that stopped by during his shift were welcomed distractions. Once they filtered out and he was left taskless, Finn skimmed through his social media accounts to pass the time. A chime interrupted him. The number unsaved. Where r u? The text read. He thumbed his way to his inbox, inquiring who it was. The following answers would be something he would not like.

 

“Is that not the most inconsiderate thing a person could do?” He griped as he did a quick rinse of his tupperware in the employee restroom. Standing a few paces away was his co-worker Rey, chewing at a granola bar while watching him practically foam at the mouth. “I specified my availability on my flyer and in person to avoid this sort of thing. Like, what the hell? How did you get Monday from Tuesday? They don’t even sound the same!”  
“Same amount of syllables.” Finn shot her a look and she lifted both hands up in surrender. “What?”

Finn shook his head and turned off the faucet, shoveling his belongings in his backpack. Rey stalked behind him as he punched out on the dusty timeclock.   
“Don’t worry about it. My dad is fine with you leaving early. You’re always on time anyways. Plus it might make me look good if you actually weren’t so punctual.”  
Finn’s hardened demeanor softened with a laugh. “You still haven’t explained to me how you’re late to a job that’s a floor below your own house.”  
“Think outside the box, Finn. Anything’s possible.” She grinned at him when he kissed his teeth at her teasing. “Drive safe. See you tomorrow.”

 

*

The library, as it typically was on earlier days of the week, was vacant save the staff when Finn arrived. The thundering clouds outside filled the window frames with shuddering clamor, promising a shower. Old lamps served warm glowing light along tabletops and cut through the thick shadows that draped down the walls and shelves.  
Seated adjacent to a window he could see a head full of long box braids. Her energetic voice mingled with the librarians, an older white woman who nodded and happily prattled along with her. The anger that was fueling him diluted the further he walked. The librarian, who seemed indifferent most of the time he was here, took so well to her. He wished they shared the same sentiments.

Finn had just caught the tail of their laughter before catching their attention. “Hi Finn! We were just talking about you.” The woman beamed up at him.   
“Nothing but good stuff, I hope.” He felt himself smile before he could decide.  
“Nothing short. I’ll be at the front desk. Let me know if you need anything, okay?”

Finn nodded and smiled until she was gone. He sat at the seat opposite of Ken, who was already in her phone.  
“Can we start now?” Finn blurted out.  
Ken glanced up. A small chuckle left her mouth before reaching for her satchel. “Someone’s cranky.”  
For a moment he was silent, deliberating on letting out the frustration burning his lungs. He felt like he would implode. “Are you really trying to get help? Are you just messing around with me?”  
Ken paused then looked up at him. “Would I be here?”  
“Technically? No. You’d be here tomorrow. On Tuesday. The day we agreed on.”

Finn watched her mouth quirk to the side. “We talked about this through text. I am sorry, no bullshit. But you still showed up. What’s the issue?”  
“The issue is we won’t have time to cover anything. I have to leave for my next class in fifteen minutes.”  
“Fine.” She pushed her weight into her chair and balanced herself on the wooden hind legs. “So what would you like to do, Finn?”  
He stalled. “I. . . I guess we can just leave. This rain’s pretty lousy to be in.”  
Ken leaned forward and her seat landed on all legs. “What's your major?”  
The question threw him off, but he obliged. “Accounting.”  
“Why? I know you’re good at numbers, but why accounting?”  
“Never do something you’re good at for free.” Finn shrugged. He was impressed by the effortless nature of his answer.  
Telling from the look on her face, she was too. “It’s good to know just how good that head is on your shoulders.”  
“Thanks?”  
“Where do you work?”  
“Ah, uh. Han’s shop. On Groover lane.”  
“That old tech place? I didn’t know it was still open.”  
He straightened. “It does pretty well for itself. So yeah. Still open.”  
Her eyes showed a glint of humor. “I bet you’re swamped with overtime. No wonder your schedule is so limited.”

Though the anger in his chest continued to burn, a sliver of guilt made him quiet. When he thought to speak, Ken had already been collecting her things. “Bus should be here soon. If I wait for the next one i’ll be stuck here for another hour. See you tomorrow.”

With nothing but the white noise outside to fill the library, Finn eventually gathered his things and filed out of the building.


	3. 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's nanowrimo, so I should at least practice finishing what I start. Here goes!

At the end of his Wednesday night class, Finn and several of his peers piled up at the library, comparing notes and chatting about off topic things at a square table. The handful of students were far from struggling academically, but the mental exhaustion of academia was a merciless thing. Being around each other to share their plights made trudging through the work that much more bearable.

 

The blue eyed square-jawed ginger at the table flung his arms toward the ceiling and stretched. His face looked displeased. “Honestly if I get another partner assignment I’m going to hurl myself off a cliff.”

“But Nines, don’t you know how  _ important  _ it is to learn to work in groups?” Z grinned sarcastically at him, who reached over and tugged his hoodie down his face.

“Seriously, I hate the mandatory courses thing.” Nines shut his laptop. He clearly was done for the day.

 

“It beats paying sixty-plus thou at university,” Said Slip. The others agreed dejectedly. “Come on guys, we can’t let Professor Phasma get the best of us. No matter how scary she is.”

“For someone who’s scared of everything, that’s surprisingly bold of you to say.” Finn narrowed his eyes. “Almost out of character.”

“Well, once our assignments are over for this week, Spring Break will be here. And there’s a con coming up.” Slip shrugged. “I have to look forward to  _ something _ , right?”

“Damn, you’re right.” At the realization, Nines opened his laptop, tapping impatiently at the keyboard as the machine booted up. “I have to wrap up as much as I can before Monday because I’m not doing shit over break.” 

“Did you ever figure out if you were able to come?” Z asked Finn.

“Yeah. I managed to get in enough hours at the shop.”

“That’s awesome! Especially considering how hard you’ve been working tutoring people.” Z commended him. Nines and Slip agreed between chattering about their own costume ideas. “You should be proud of yourself.”

A short thought of the nerve-wrangling girl crossed his mind. Finn grinned. “Thanks, I am.”

  
  


A few hours into their studies proved productive for the small band of college students. When they equally decided to retire the four of them piled into Nine’s car and headed for a pizzeria at the nearby college town plaza. They rehashed their plans for the local event, explaining the details of their arduous efforts to pull costume ideas together over a meat lover’s pie. 

Finn took care of the tray toppled with their trash and dumped it into the nearest garbage bin while the three others browsed the fridge for their choice of drink and chilled desserts. As he turned, prepared to join them, his eyes caught onto a black-cloaked figure tucked against the front counter. The sound of her laugh reached him before his eyes could fasten on her.

 

Ken handed over layers of wrinkled bills to the cashier, who absent-mindedly took it, eyes stitched to the girl with emerald plaits as he continued talking about whatever it was the three of them were so engrossed in. Three being Ken, the cashier, and the person beside her half draped across the counter. Finn hadn’t noticed his own staring until Z called to see if he wanted anything. Ken’s head pivoted. He quickly turned his and shuffled over to his friends. They didn’t seem to notice the haste in how he moved, and so he sighed quietly, making sure to keep his head turned.

 

“Ken!” Nines’ voice boomed. He called again when she didn’t respond. “Nisha!” Finn rubbed his palms down his pants. The redhead made his way over towards the counter, drawing the attention of Z and Slip. Being the last to look, Finn found Nines giving Ken a tight embrace. The three of them were openly confused, but Finn was sure he was the only one with a odd twist in his stomach.

 

While Nines and Ken spoke excitedly in a half embrace, her other friend glanced over at the trio. His eyes were sudden and heavy. Loose, dark curls hung at his neck. The features were strikingly familiar, and the brown jacket he donned confirmed his identity. That was Poe Dameron. They were in each other’s homeroom and gym period in high school. Seeing him nowadays hadn’t been very common, and it made him wonder how Poe and Ken knew each other.

 

To Finn’s displeasure, Nines strolled back over and introduced Ken and Poe. Ken eagerly shook each of their hands and Poe waved at them lazily. She made sure to neglect Finn’s, but fastened her eyes onto him.

“We’ve met.” She said to Nines.

He looked dubious. “Yeah? Hadn’t a clue. Even better! I was just telling Kenisha and Poe about our plans for con and that we were gonna play a few rounds of Mario Kart tonight at Finn’s. Would it be cool if they joined?”

“Nines it’s cool, me and Poe don’t want to be rude.”

“It’s not rude. He knows you. Finn never sweats small stuff like that, anyways. Right?”

 

The others waited expectantly for his confirmation. He blurted out a “Sure,” anxious to get the attention off of himself. Having been expected, the others quickly moved along and got back in their cars. Poe would follow Nines’ Jeep through the college area and at the complex where Finn and Slip stayed. On the way there, their chatter would phase through him like smoke. Finn’s attention had diverted to the passing houses and road signs while he mulled over his own embarrassment. The thought itself made his face hot. He was grateful for the darkness in the car and their distracted attention.


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was awkward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's to everyone still hanging in there this nanowrimo. You guys are awesome.

The complex was scarce of much activity, a strong contrast to their weekends here. The inexpensive apartments were home to dozens of restless, rowdy college kids, which changed Finn’s expectations of what he considered peace and quiet. Loitering strangers and blaring bluetooth speakers with an occasional hallway dweller made for a quiet Tuesday night.

 

The group filed inside of the shared apartment space labeled 609. Finn quickly shuffled inside to clear the living space of any clutter he or Slip neglected during the day. The others hadn’t minded, making their way around him and discussing character selections while Slip and Nines set up the console and stereo system. 

 

“Now listen, don’t be fooled. As humble as the guy is, Poe can kick your asses at Mario Kart,” Nines said. He barely got the sentence out before the other booed and jeered at him.

Slip returned to the living room with a case of unfinished Budweisers. He handed out cans to each of them. “Nobody’s gonna beat my ass in my own house on my own game, alright? Let’s just get that straight.”

“I hate beer,” Ken muttered before cracking her can open and gulping down a hearty mouthful.

“I don’t know man,” Poe’s voice was as velvety as he looked. Finn busied himself with finding a controller. “There’s a first time for everything.”

The screen lit up with colorful displays of the character library. Nines plopped down on the couch beside Z. He shook his head and tsked. “I warned you guys.”

  
  
  


The group played each other for hours, alternating between Mario Kart, Mortal Kombat, Super Smash Bros and eventually even recovered Finn’s Wii to take turns alternating drunkenly between Donkey Kong.

 

It wasn’t his favorite game, and so Finn took the opportunity to leave the room and used the bathroom. The gaming was a good distraction. He was grateful that Nines was great at breaking the ice, especially since dismissing the embarrassment he faced hours ago was nearly impossible. Even now it lingered as he washed his hands and stared himself in the mirror. He didn’t mean to be an ass. He just didn’t feel like socializing any more than he was doing already. She’d understand that, right? Everyone has days like those.

  
  


Finn opened the door, and quickly jumped at the sight of Ken, gripping the knob to keep from hitting her. She shifted to the left in response, evading what could have been a disaster.

“Shit, I’m sorry,” He said, clearly startled.

The surprise in her eyes was fleeting. She smiled. “It’s cool.”

 

Finn awkwardly skirted to the side while she made her way through the door, immediately twisting the sink knobs and lathering her hands with a pump of soap under the running water. For several beats he stood there, rolling around thoughts of what to say to the girl who seemed to pay him no mind. Phased through him. Just like smoke.

 

“Hey, um.” She slowly looked over at him just as she twisted the knobs again. Finn scratched underneath his beanie. “I’m sorry about earlier. I know that must’ve looked really fucked up.”

Ken paused. She gave him a cursory glance before laughing. “You give yourself too much credit. How’d you figure I was offended?”

The comment threw him off. She laughed again. Finn felt a fire in his face and glanced around the hallway. “Well good. That’s great.”

Before he could completely turn away, Ken spoke out. “Take a walk with me. I need something from the store, but I don’t want to ask Poe to drive me.”

Like always, she’d change the subject and made a demand. And like the new tradition, Finn felt he had no choice. “Let me get my jacket.”

  
  


The nearest convenience store hadn’t been painfully far, but Finn never made an effort to go there on foot. When he offered to drive Ken refused, stating that she didn’t condone driving under the influence. When he mentioned that he only had some beers, her face twisted up and he decided to let it go.

 

“So Nines has been babbling about some convention coming to town all night. Says you guys are going. You excited?” She balanced herself along the edge of the sidewalk as he trekked beside her in the dark. The occasional car would flicker by, but otherwise the roadways were quiet.

“Yeah, actually. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to, but I managed to pull the money together for it. Another one’s coming up that I really want to go to, but I’m not sure if that’s happening.”

“Why’s that?”

He shrugged. “My hours aren’t consistent enough. I can’t guarantee the amount of money I’d need.”

“Well, what would you need money for?”

 

Finn shoved his hands in his jacket pockets and glanced up. Here in the dark, where very little street lights dotted the road, the stars were much more apparent.”Gas money and to fix my car up a bit, Admission. My cut of the hotel room. Spending money. Not to mention the money that goes into creating a costume.”

“Which, by the way, is really dope.”

He watched her skip back over to the sidewalk and walk backwards with her hands in her jacket pockets. “What? The costume thing?”

“Absolutely. That’s a talent that can probably pour over into other shit. Not a lot of people can say they have that under their belt.”

A smile sprouted on his face. “Thank you. I didn’t think you’d care about that sort of thing.”

“Why?”

He paused. “Well, I don’t know honestly. You don’t seem the type.”

“Oh?” Ken’s tone was casual. “What does ‘my type’ seem like?”

“I don’t know. Goth anarchist?” 

 

Her walking slowed and she bowed in laughter. It wasn’t exactly what he expected, but he couldn’t help but chuckle himself. When it lessened, she was well enough to continue trekking backwards again.

 

“I guess that’s not completely off. I do my best to dress how my soul feels.” She admitted. “Which sounds corny, but whatever. You ever think that maybe you’re just a presumptuous asshole, Finn?”

“No more than anyone else is, Kenisha.” He threw back.

“It’s Ken.”

“Why? Kenisha is beautiful.”

The banter he expected to fill the dark was absent for a long moment. A car flew past them, lighting up her features. She gazed at him, unnervingly so.

She turned her back and started walking. “Because I said so, geek.”

“Fair enough.”

  
  


The convenience store glowed with somber, iridescent brilliance, accented with neon signs, posters and barred windows. Two cars idled at the gas pumps outside, their drivers faces haggard like any of their peers were expected to be. Finn and Ken crossed the pavement and entered the store, filing through aisles and quietly immersing themselves in the floaty aura that was night ventures. Finn browsed the metal racks and shelves for anything that could satisfy his cravings, shyly peering over at Ken who glided through the store in her combat boots and maroon skirt, clearly off in her own world. One moment, as she cut a corner, she caught him watching and laughed. 

 

“These corner stores are expensive. If you didn’t drink we could’ve went somewhere cheaper,” She said while approaching the front of the store with a bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and a can of Mango Arizona in her hands. 

Finn glanced around before his eyes landed back on her while she greeted the clerk and placed her items on the counter. “Seriously? What’s cheaper than this?”

She chuckled, pushing her braids out of her face with one hand while the other fished her pocket. “If you aren’t scared, maybe I’ll show you one day.”

He rolled his eyes. When his attention turned back to her, she was gaping at him.  _ Crap. _ “Oh. I’m sorry, I-”

“No, don’t.” Humor touched her features. “It’s refreshing to see, robo-geek,”

 

He shied away from her stare. The clerk announced the cash total, clearly indifferent to their exchange. Before Ken could unfurl her money, however, Finn already awarded the cashier five dollars. 

“I don’t mind.” He said while receiving his change.

Ken grinned, taking her bag and walking out before him. “I wasn’t gonna ask if you did.”


End file.
